Let There be Light and More Light!
This morning I took my car into Monongahela to the garage. It’s a beautiful morning, and I jogged five miles home back up the hill. At least it isn’t SNOWING like it was yesterday morning on the way to church! After going to church in the snow, I was very happy to have the extra light at the end of the day. The snow had ended, it had warmed up, and when I turned on the TV and my Red Sox were playing the first game that counts this year, I knew spring was finally here.
This weekend I settled into my routine of going to two very different Presbyterian churches. Saturday night I went to the service at Round Hill with the rock band. I was baptized in this church and went to it throughout my youth. My mother is a member, and they visit her in the nursing home and bring her gifts. Saturday night, they baptized a nine-year-old boy during the service. It was very cute, and they had a party for him after the service. I was telling two members of the band that I had mentioned their band and their lead singer Stella in my blog. They didn’t know what a blog was, so I had the opportunity to explain it. I love going to this service, but don’t see it as a great source of fellowship for me. When the anti-liberal, homophobic literature was distributed at the service, God used my anger at this to my benefit. If this had not happened, I wouldn’t have searched for an alternative church. I am so grateful to Erin and Myra for helping me find the Sixth Presbyterian Church. I would never have found it if God had not worked through them to find this church for me.
As a youngster, I sang often at Round Hill. So it’s fitting that music brought me back to it. I also really enjoy Rev. Meek’s sermon at the service, even though he and I have very different views on things. This week, he talked about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, from the lowliest to the greatest. This sermon helped me to see things very differently. I know that Rev. Meek was referring to the gifts one receives by accepting Christ. But the sermon got me to thinking that perhaps when I don’t like someone or think particularly highly of them, maybe the reason is that they have been given different gifts by God. They may not have the gifts I most appreciate, but God has given them gifts which are just as important—to God. I have to respect that God has created this person too and given them valuable gifts of His choosing.
Sunday was the first sermon of Rev. Mary Louise McCullough, the minister who is a candidate for pastor of the Sixth Presbyterian Church. She seems like a very nice person. She would be replacing a minister who retired and was their minister for many years. Since his retirement, Rev. Beverly James has been the interim minister. From reading Rev. McCullough’s biography on Sixth Presbyterian’s web site, I learned that she served a two-year internship at another More Light church, in San Francisco, I believe. She based her sermon on the scripture about Thomas’ doubts when Jesus arose from the dead. Her view is that doubt is not necessarily a bad thing. She believes that the church is still in a time of rearrangement after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Instead of putting up walls and excluding people, the church should welcome people in. She says that she is very happy to be considered for the job of pastor of a church like Sixth that welcomes diversity. After the service, we got to shake hands with her and greet her as we left and also meet her husband, who is also a minister.
Since they were voting on the new pastor, I did not want to hang around. I’m not a member, and I wasn’t sure they would be having a social hour. Still, I was bombarded with warmth and friendliness! The church is so friendly. People who had seen me there for the first time two weeks ago remembered my name. I hadn’t met anyone who was sitting around me, and they all introduced themselves and made me feel very welcome. I am very happy that the Lord has solved my problems by making it possible for me to attend these two wonderful but very different churches.
This weekend I settled into my routine of going to two very different Presbyterian churches. Saturday night I went to the service at Round Hill with the rock band. I was baptized in this church and went to it throughout my youth. My mother is a member, and they visit her in the nursing home and bring her gifts. Saturday night, they baptized a nine-year-old boy during the service. It was very cute, and they had a party for him after the service. I was telling two members of the band that I had mentioned their band and their lead singer Stella in my blog. They didn’t know what a blog was, so I had the opportunity to explain it. I love going to this service, but don’t see it as a great source of fellowship for me. When the anti-liberal, homophobic literature was distributed at the service, God used my anger at this to my benefit. If this had not happened, I wouldn’t have searched for an alternative church. I am so grateful to Erin and Myra for helping me find the Sixth Presbyterian Church. I would never have found it if God had not worked through them to find this church for me.
As a youngster, I sang often at Round Hill. So it’s fitting that music brought me back to it. I also really enjoy Rev. Meek’s sermon at the service, even though he and I have very different views on things. This week, he talked about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, from the lowliest to the greatest. This sermon helped me to see things very differently. I know that Rev. Meek was referring to the gifts one receives by accepting Christ. But the sermon got me to thinking that perhaps when I don’t like someone or think particularly highly of them, maybe the reason is that they have been given different gifts by God. They may not have the gifts I most appreciate, but God has given them gifts which are just as important—to God. I have to respect that God has created this person too and given them valuable gifts of His choosing.
Sunday was the first sermon of Rev. Mary Louise McCullough, the minister who is a candidate for pastor of the Sixth Presbyterian Church. She seems like a very nice person. She would be replacing a minister who retired and was their minister for many years. Since his retirement, Rev. Beverly James has been the interim minister. From reading Rev. McCullough’s biography on Sixth Presbyterian’s web site, I learned that she served a two-year internship at another More Light church, in San Francisco, I believe. She based her sermon on the scripture about Thomas’ doubts when Jesus arose from the dead. Her view is that doubt is not necessarily a bad thing. She believes that the church is still in a time of rearrangement after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Instead of putting up walls and excluding people, the church should welcome people in. She says that she is very happy to be considered for the job of pastor of a church like Sixth that welcomes diversity. After the service, we got to shake hands with her and greet her as we left and also meet her husband, who is also a minister.
Since they were voting on the new pastor, I did not want to hang around. I’m not a member, and I wasn’t sure they would be having a social hour. Still, I was bombarded with warmth and friendliness! The church is so friendly. People who had seen me there for the first time two weeks ago remembered my name. I hadn’t met anyone who was sitting around me, and they all introduced themselves and made me feel very welcome. I am very happy that the Lord has solved my problems by making it possible for me to attend these two wonderful but very different churches.
posted by Theodosia @ 8:49 AM
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